This came up in another thread, and deserves one of its very own.

Of the hundred or so roses I grow, the white ones are the worst for
getting really ugly really fast on the bush. The worst is Sombrueil,
the blooms of which in a few days wind up a ratty, flaking brown that
I cannot deadhead because it, in its third year, has grown twelve feet
up into the mature holly hedge that borders one side of that garden,
and I cannot reach them.

"Knock out" was last year's darling (or was it the year before?) and
is planted at every other strip center and hotel in the area,
presumably because of the claim that it is disease free and always in
bloom. The flip side is that its many blooms (which are NEVER red by
the way) age from a vibrant magenta to an icky pink with white edges.
The old blooms hang on rattily for dear life, so that you have a
mounded shrub full of three-toned, five-petaled blooms that look like
hell.

The perfect garden rose, if you want a red floribunda with a pleasant,
rounded shape that holds its blooms and stays true red: Europeana. Way
too old to be hip and no real fragrance, but what a rose!

In article 352481b00166821eefb8dcf0971797aa@TeraNews, Shiva
wrote:

This came up in another thread, and deserves one of its very own.

Of the hundred or so roses I grow, the white ones are the worst for
getting really ugly really fast on the bush. The worst is Sombrueil,
the blooms of which in a few days wind up a ratty, flaking brown that
I cannot deadhead because it, in its third year, has grown twelve feet
up into the mature holly hedge that borders one side of that garden,
and I cannot reach them.

Iceberg is pretty ugly too when it's done blooming. But you're right,
Sombreuil really sucks. Glendora aka Joasine Hanet is terrific that way
- petals just crisp up and blow away.

"Cass" wrote in message
.. .
In article 352481b00166821eefb8dcf0971797aa@TeraNews, Shiva
wrote:

This came up in another thread, and deserves one of its very own.

Of the hundred or so roses I grow, the white ones are the worst for
getting really ugly really fast on the bush. The worst is Sombrueil,
the blooms of which in a few days wind up a ratty, flaking brown that
I cannot deadhead because it, in its third year, has grown twelve feet
up into the mature holly hedge that borders one side of that garden,
and I cannot reach them.

Iceberg is pretty ugly too when it's done blooming. But you're right,
Sombreuil really sucks. Glendora aka Joasine Hanet is terrific that way
- petals just crisp up and blow away.

Some of the really bad ones here are New Dawn, Fairy
Aloha, Guinevere, Iceberg & Phyllis Bide.

Nice ones are Candelabra, Prairie Princess, loise odier, Darlows enigma
and most of the Austins. I guess there is an upside to the
quick shattering blooms.

--
Theo in Zone 5
Kansas City

In article f9f5662fbf24fec2f22c746f2b43442b@TeraNews, Theo Asir
wrote:

"Cass" wrote in message
.. .
In article 352481b00166821eefb8dcf0971797aa@TeraNews, Shiva
wrote:

This came up in another thread, and deserves one of its very own.

Of the hundred or so roses I grow, the white ones are the worst for
getting really ugly really fast on the bush. The worst is Sombrueil,
the blooms of which in a few days wind up a ratty, flaking brown that
I cannot deadhead because it, in its third year, has grown twelve feet
up into the mature holly hedge that borders one side of that garden,
and I cannot reach them.

Iceberg is pretty ugly too when it's done blooming. But you're right,
Sombreuil really sucks. Glendora aka Joasine Hanet is terrific that way
- petals just crisp up and blow away.

Some of the really bad ones here are New Dawn, Fairy
Aloha, Guinevere, Iceberg & Phyllis Bide.

Yep, I have some of those, and they are woofers. Phyllis is a three-day
dead head job.

Nice ones are Candelabra, Prairie Princess, loise odier, Darlows enigma
and most of the Austins. I guess there is an upside to the
quick shattering blooms.

Hey, how big is Darlow's Enigma going to get? It was a 4 inches last
fall and now it is 4 foot and growing inches every day. Fantastic,
interesting species-looking foliage and wicked, scary violet prickles.
What a beaut. I gotta figure out how to grow it right the first time
because that sucker isn't one you'd want to move or prune with anything
other than the loppers.

--
Theo in Zone 5
Kansas City

- petals just crisp up and blow away.

Some of the really bad ones here are New Dawn, Fairy
Aloha, Guinevere, Iceberg & Phyllis Bide.

Yep, I have some of those, and they are woofers. Phyllis is a three-day
dead head job.

My Phyllis is 3' high right now and
I already starting to see what a chore
this is gonna be!

Nice ones are Candelabra, Prairie Princess, loise odier, Darlows enigma
and most of the Austins. I guess there is an upside to the
quick shattering blooms.

Hey, how big is Darlow's Enigma going to get? It was a 4 inches last
fall and now it is 4 foot and growing inches every day. Fantastic,
interesting species-looking foliage and wicked, scary violet prickles.
What a beaut. I gotta figure out how to grow it right the first time
because that sucker isn't one you'd want to move or prune with anything
other than the loppers.

It growing like a stepped pyramid
right now. Last year it grew into a 2'
shrub. This year it sent out like 20
basals up through the middle to about
4'. It would have gone more but our
40 mph april winds knocked down the basals.

I've take pictures. Need to work on
a website this lunch hour.

--
Theo in Zone 5
Kansas City


--
Theo in Zone 5
Kansas City